The Arabic language learners' perceptions towards the use of collocations to improve writing performance.

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to determine the perception of Arabic foreign language learners at the undergraduate level from the Department of Arabic Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Katsina Nigeria towards the use of collocation in improving their writing performance in relation to the background in collocational knowledge, its impact on facilitating vocabulary learning in the form of collocations, reducing linguistic errors. The researchers provided training on the use of collocations in writing based on the lexical approach over a twelve weeks period. Following the completion of the training, the data were collected through a closed-ended questionnaire consisting of four components with 32 items. The study utilized a purposeful sampling method, with an intact class comprising 35 third-year male and female students enrolled in the essay writing course, from the Department of Arabic Language, Umar Musa University, Katsina, Nigeria for the academic year 2022-2023. Hence, the study employed a frequency descriptive approach for the data analysis. The study found that the participants have a weak background in collocational knowledge before the training and more than  60% after the training understood the positive role of collocations in fluency in writing, reducing linguistic errors, and facilitating vocabulary learning in the form of collocations. Finally, the study proved that teaching the Arabic language on the basis of the lexical approach from which collocations emerged leads to the improvement of writing performance of the learners of Arabic as a foreign language in Nigeria. Accordingly, the current study proposes employing collocations in improving the writing performance of learners of Arabic as a foreign language, especially in Nigeria.

 Key words: Lexical approach, collocations, foreign language learning, writing performance.